This invention relates to heavy-duty off-road trucks and, more particularly, to a tailgate assembly for such trucks.
The dump bodies of heavy-duty, off-road trucks are often provided with tailgate assemblies in order to increase their load capacity. A tailgate assembly typically includes a pair of straight sidearms which are pivotally mounted to the sides of the dump body and between which a center-rear portion is supported. When the tailgate assembly is in a closed position, the center-rear portion closes off the rear end of the dump body. Thus, when the tailgate assembly is closed, the effective volumetric capacity of the dump body is increased as material is prevented from spilling out of the rear of the dump body.
To allow material to be dumped from the rear of the dump body, the center-rear portion of the tailgate is pivotable upward into an open position. In particular, the center-rear portion pivots upward when the body is raised to a dump position as a result of an actuating mechanism that generally includes pair of chains or cables which link the sidearms of the tailgate to the truck frame. The chains can be attached to the truck frame in several different ways. One common method is to connect the chains to outriggers that extend outward from the frame of the body to a point beyond the sidewalls of the body. The outriggers ensure that the chains are not biased around the bottom edge of the body, which could cause damage to both the chains and the truck body.
Unfortunately, attaching the outriggers to the truck frame can be a very difficult and time-consuming task. Typically, the outriggers or outrigger attachment components are welded to the truck frame. However, there is very little space within which to perform such a welding operation on many off-road truck models. Moreover, the small space can be difficult for installation personnel to access because of the presence of various truck components such as walking beams, cylinders and other elements of the truck suspension system. As a result, the welding process can take a significant amount of time and thus substantially increases the labor cost associated with installing a tailgate on a dump body.
The difficulty associated with welding the outriggers to the frame also increases the likelihood of welding flaws. These welding flaws can significantly compromise the strength of the outrigger. Welding flaws are of particular concern because each outrigger is subjected to a substantial torque when the tailgate is pivoted into the open position. Thus, when welding flaws are present, the outriggers are susceptible to becoming separated from the truck frame after repeated use.
In view of the foregoing, a tailgate assembly for a dump body of a truck is provided. The tailgate assembly includes an outrigger assembly having an associated mounting assembly that permits the outrigger assembly to be fastened around the frame of the truck. The dump body includes a pair of opposing sidewalls and an open rear end. The dump body is movable relative to the truck frame between a lowered transport position and a raised dump position.
The tailgate assembly includes a pair of opposing sidearms each of which is pivotally connected to a respective sidewall of the dump body and a center-rear portion supported between the opposing sidearms. The sidearms and center-rear portion are movable between a closed position wherein the center-rear portion spans substantially between the opposing sidewalls of the dump body and encloses the open rear end of the dump body and an open position wherein the center-rear portion is positioned away from the open rear end of the dump body.
Each outrigger mounting assembly includes a mounting member connected to the outrigger assembly for engaging a first surface of the frame, a clamp member for engaging a second surface of the frame and at least one fastener for interconnecting the mounting and clamping plates thereby clamping the frame therebetween. The tailgate assembly further includes a pair of connectors. Each connector couples a respective one of the sidearms to a respective one of the outriggers such that the sidearms and center-rear portion rotate between the open and closed positions in response to rotation of the dump body between the lowered and raised positions.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: